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TexasCharm

TexasCharm

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
Joined
Mar 8, 2024
Messages
147
Location
Texas
I photo-document dang near everything we do around here, so I thought I'd start a thread just to share bits and photos of our life here on the little wooded homestead. We are in SE Texas and live here presently with 4 dogs, 3 horses, 13 hens and 2 roosters, tons of wildlife, a garden area, and our back yard sanctuary that we call Little Eden. I hope you enjoy this "photo journal" half as much as I enjoy taking the pics.


A friend took this pic about 8 years ago of hubby and I out riding. It'll be the perfect shot to start of a thread about our life together!
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Growing up in Florida and living across the street from hundreds of acres of citrus groves, I recognize and love the smell of citrus blooms. Though far away, in lifestyle and proximity, to the place of my childhood; this smell reminds me of "home".

Citrus blooms.
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I used to service a catscan in ventura ca. I'd drive down the santa clara river valley, hwy 126. It was lined by citrus groves back then. It was usually at night. I'd roll down my window and drive slow when the trees were in bloom. 😍 Yep, a wonderful scent.

For me its the smell of a cotton field, thats home. I don't have to see it. In the fall i can tell by the scent how many days until harvest. :)
 
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Kinda funny. I "inherited" a HUGE bread book. One of their sourdough starter recipes used honey. I decided to make it. I honestly questioned the amounts of the ingredients with quart sized container they said to put it in, So I used 2 containers and split the starter. This starter also used a yeast (booster). Well, apparently yeast loves honey, 'cause an hour later that starter had busted through the coffee filter top and was spilling out all over the counter. The picture above was after the mess, what I managed to keep and it still filled up two jars again. I kinda wished I had just made bread and this was the first amazing rise.. oh boy.

I'll have to tweak that starter recipe.. lol
 
I was getting in the bathtub a bit ago, glanced out the window and one of my hens was in the front yard (where she doesn't belong) eating with this rabbit. By the time I grabbed my camera, the chicken had moved on, but the rabbit was still there.

We have so many rabbits. They drive my dogs nuts, but we'll be eating stewed rabbit if/when SHTF.. lol.

Good night folks.

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TexasCharm said:
What have we here?

A flower head developing on the elderberry I planted last year!
Click to expand...

Magpie said:
Are they native over there? They grow wild here , only used the flowers to make cordial, because the birds get to the berries before I do!
Click to expand...

It is native here but it's so similar as medicine to european black elder it's used interchangeably. Both grow wild here. I don't notice which is which anymore.

I grow elder for convenience. I make tincture from the blooms, a very good flu medicine, indefinite shelf life. Using the berries but I'd have to make syrup every year to have some on hand. It's simpler for me to use the blooms.

Also, mine is wild stock i transplanted. It's very aggressive. I have to prune it every winter to keep it under control.

Elder c (9).jpgPla Elder 12jun22 01.JPGPla Elder 12jun22 04.JPG
 
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